Fulham manager Martin Jol expressed concern Saturday at the plight of Clint Dempsey, who again was missing from the lineup against Manchester United after spending the past five weeks training with the Fulham staff as he eyes a move to Liverpool.

"Everyone thinks he was left out of the squad today but he has not been there for four or five weeks," said Jol. "If there is no bid -- like Steven Fletcher and Matt Jarvis at Wolves -- he could have played until he got his big move. I would have liked that.

"But there is no official bid. It is a very bad situation for us, and for him, of course."

Wolverhampton sold Fletcher to Sunderland and Jarvis to West Ham this week. Jarvis played for the Wolves while awaiting his transfer, but Fletcher did not.

Jol said he is open to forgiving Dempsey but is short on options if Liverpool doesn't follow through on its interest with a formal bid and the transfer window closes Friday without an offer.

"I am not a person who will not forgive a player," he said. "I loved him last year but I have not seen him much this year. If there is no bid, what can I do? I cannot sell him to the non-league or put him on loan at Stevenage.

"Maybe something will happen next week. He really thought he would be on the move four or five weeks ago. His head was turned. He thought it would happen in the next couple of days and it didn't."